Typewriting machine



A ril 12, 1932. w. GRAEPEL TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed April 1, 1950 -2Sheets-Sheet 2 which are respectively fixed to the carriage Patented Apr. 12, 1932 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j WILLIAM GRAEPEL, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL 'IYIPEWRITER V 7 COMPANY, INC., 013 NEW YORK, N. Y., .A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK 'rxrnwnrrme MACHINE Application filed. April 1,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in typcwriting machines generally, althoughmore particularly to means for positively retaining certain normally Y movable'parts of the machine against movement during shipment of the machine.

Rough handling of typewriters, partlcularly when being shipped or when being carried, is very injurious to the movable parts of the machine, and therefore some of the objects of the invention are to provide releasable means for retaining the carriage against upward shifting movement and against longitudinal or letter space move 7 ment; for retaining the escapement rack of carriage against longitudinal or letter space movement,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the blocks,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one/of the retainers, and

F igure 6 is a more or less diagrammatic view showing the free end of the shift lock lever out of contact with the lock screw.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

- I have shown my invention as applied .to the well known Royal portable typewriting ma chine, although it will be understood that the invention may be applied to typewriting machines of other manufacture. The typewriting machine as shown in the drawings embodies a main frame A having side plates 5 and a rear plate 6, and a shift frame B which supports the usual carriage G through the medium of upper and lower rails 7, 7 and 8, 8

1930. Serial No. 440,849.

C and to the shift frame B. Disposed between each pair of upper and lower rails 7 and 8 is a plurality of anti-friction balls 7* and these balls are each mounted within a pinion 7 b the teeth of which engage aseries of openings 7 and 7 respectively formed in the upper and lower rails.

The carriage C includes a platen 9 and a platen axle 10. The shift frame B is movable Vertically from lower case position to upper case position by means of a shift key 11. The shift key 11 is arranged to oscillate a bell crank lever 12 having a horizontal arm 13 which is pivotally connected to the shift frame and a vertical arm 14, the latter being provided with a stop screw 15. Fixed to the shift key 11 is a lock arm 16 which is normally adapted to register with the stop screw and thereby retain the shift frame B in its lowermost position. Cooperating with the carriage is the usual escapement mechanism which includes an escapement pinion 17 and an escapement rack bar 18. The rack bar 18 ismounted to oscillate about an axis 19 and a release lever 20 is fixed to move with the rack bar 18. Each side plate 5 of the main frame includes an upper edge 21 and a lower edge 22,, and the main frame is supported by feet 23 whereby the lower edge 22 is disposed above a supporting sur-. face for the machine. Mounted on the main frame, A is the usual center stop D- VVhen it is desired to ship the machine, it is necessary to secure the carriage against endwise or longitudinal movement and also secure the carriage against vertical movement. It is also necessary to maintain the carriage escapement in released position so that during transportation neither the carriage rack nor the carriage escapement pinion is injured in transit. It is also desirable to maintain the stop screw of the shift frame out of locking relation with the locking arm of the shift key so as to avoid injuring any of these'parts. V

' To the above ends, I have provided a retainer E which is formed from a wire and is bent at its lower ends to form an open hook 24 having a cam finger 24 at its free end, and at its upper end to form an open hook 25, the

latter terminating in a laterally disposed hook 263. The hooks 24: and 25 are disposed in vertical planes at right angles to each other and the hook 26 is disposed in a horizontal plane at right angles to the vertical planes containing the hooks 24: and 25. There may be two of these connectors E employed, one at each side of the machine, and therefore the description of one only has been deemed to be sufficient. A pair of blocks 27 are employed and each block is formed at one end with a recess 28 and a downwardly extending projection 29. The shift frame is elevated a suficient distance to permit the blocks 27 to be positioned between the carriage G and the upper edges 21 of the side plates of the main frame. Each block is so positioned that the downwardly projecting end portion 29 is located within the main frame and the resultant shoulder 30 of said projecting end forms a stop to prevent the outward movement of the block. The recess portion 28 of each block affords clearance for the screw 31 which is connected to the under side of the carriage and to which screw the drawband 32 for the carriage is connected. By inserting the blocks in this manner and as shown in Figure 2, the shift frame has been elevated a distance sufficient to position the free end of the lock arm 16 of the shift key above the stop screw 15. The connector E is then attached to the machine in the following manner. The hook 26 is first engaged around the escapement release lever 20 and this lever is then drawn forwardly to release the escapement rack 18 from the escapement pinions 17. The hook 25 is then engaged over the axle 10 of the platen, and the hook 24 is then frictionally engaged under the lower edge 22 of the associated side plate 5, the hook at springing into position by reason of the cam finger 24, and thereby securely retaining the carriage against upward movement and at the same time securely clamping the block 27 between the carriage and the main frame.

In order to lock the carriage against endwise or longitudinal movement, I have provided a lock pin E which is preferably formed of a wire bent into U-shape to provide a connecting portion 33 and spaced legs 34: and 35, the former being shorter than the latter. This wire is of a diameter sufficiently small to permit the legs 34 and 35 to be inserted in registering pairs of openings 7 and 7 when the carriage is in its central position. This lock pin embraces the central stop D and consequently the pin is not only firmly held in operative position but is also prevented from turning. The shorter leg 34- is provided with a crimp 34* which forms a stop for cooperation with the central stop D to prevent accidental displacement of the stop pin. Attached to the lock pin F by a cord 36 is a tag 37 on which is suitable printed matter, the cord and tag serving as a means to assist in withdrawing the lock pin from its operative position.

The mechanism shown and described herein for retaining the carriage against longitudinal movement relative to the main frame forms the subject matter of my co-pending application Ser. No. 518,272, filed Feb. 25, 1931.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that I have provided'a lock pin which is adapted to cooperate with the openings in the carriage rails to retain the carriage against endwise or longitudinal movement; that I have provided a connector for retaining the carriage against vertical movement relative to the main frame, and to maintain the carriage escapement release lever in its inoperative or released position, and that I have provided means for maintaining the carriage in a slightly raised position whereby the lock arm of the shift key is positioned out of direct and operative contact with the stop screw of the shift frame.

I claim 1. The combination of atypewriting machine including a main frame, a vertically movable carriage including a platen having an axle, and an escapement mechanism for the carriage including an escapement release lever, and a releasable connector engageable with the platen axle, the escapement release lever, and the frame for retaining the carriage against upward movement and for retaining the carriage release lever in its inoperative or released position.

2. The combination of a typewriting machine including a main frame having a side plate, a vertically movable carriage including a platen having an axle, and an escapement mechanism for the carriage including an escapement release lever, and a connector including hooks engageable with the lower edge of the side plate, the platen axle, and the escapement release lever for retaining the carriage against upward movement and for retaining the carriage release lever in its inoperative or released position.

3. The combination of a typewriting machine including a main frame having a side plate, a vertically movable carriage including a platen having an axle, and an escapement mechanism for the carriage including an escapement release lever, and a connector including hooks engageable with the lower edge of the side plate, the platen axle, and the escapement release lever for retaining the carriage against upward movement and for retaining the carriage release lever in its inoperative or released position, the plateengaging hook and the axle-engaging hook being disposed in planes at right angles to each other and the lever-engaging hook being disposed in a plane at right angles to the first two mentioned hooks.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a main frame including a side plate, of a shift frame mounted on the main frame for vertical movements, a carriage on the shift frame, a shift key cooperating with the shift frame, a lock arm for normally locking the shift frame against upward movement and releasable upon the first part of movement of the shift key, a block interposed between the carriage and the upper edge of the side plate to hold the shift frame slightly above its normal position with the lock arm out of operative relation with the shift frame, and a connector engageable with the carriage and the main frame to retain the block in position and to retain the carriage against upward movement.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a main frame including a side plate, of a shift frame mounted on the main frame for vertical movements, a carriage on the shift frame including a platen having an axle, a shift key cooperating with the shift frame, a lock arm for normally looking the shift frame against upward movement and releasable upon the first part of movement of the shift key, a block interposed between the carriage and the uppes edge of the side plate to hold the shift frame slightly above its normal position with the lock arm out of operative relation with the shift frame, and a connector engageable with the carriage and the main frame to retain the block in position and to retain the carriage against upward movement, said connector including a hook engageable with the lower edge of the side plate and a hook engageable over the platen axle.

6. The combination of typewriting machine including a main frame having a side plate and supporting feet, and a vertically shiftable carriage, and a readily removable spring connector rod for retaining the carriage against upward movement and terminating at its ends in rounded hooks arranged in planes at right angles to each other for respectively engaging the carriage and the lower edge of one of the side plates of the frame, the plate-engaging hook terminating in a cam finger.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM GRAEPEL. 

